A lovely death poem.

I Died for Beauty but was Scarce
By Emily Dickenson

1 I died for beauty but was scarce
2 Adjusted in the tomb,
3 When one who died for truth was lain
4 In an adjoining room.

5 He questioned softly why I failed?
6 "For beauty," I replied.
7 "And I for truth,--the two are one;
8 We brethren are," he said.

9 And so, as kinsmen met a night,
10 We talked between the rooms,
11 Until the moss had reached our lips,
12 And covered up our names.

This poem struck a chord with me because it many different meanings all wrapped up into one poem. The poem states that beauty and truth are like brothers, but that also means that the two are different (8). If truth and beauty were the same they would be twins in the same room. Another meaning you can derive from the poem is from the line with the word "failed"(5). The word failed is very important because it indicates that there were goals that they did not achieve in life, and so in essesence they failed. You could also interpret it to mean that dying for beauty means failing, for it is a pointless way to die. The last line where the poem describes the poem covering up their names says to me that the dead are often forgotten gradually and slowly, but nevertheless they are forgotten(11/12). The moss covers them up and you can see them no more(11/12).

The poem uses the metaphor "met at night" to refer to death (9). I also believe the people in the tomb are meant to represent beauty and truth, but are presented to us as people who died for such causes. It shows us that beauty and truth can get along and can be similar, but should not be considered the same thing. Dead people are personified in this poem in a way, because in real life obviously dead people can't converse. When she mentions that she was "adjusted in the tomb" it shows us that no matter what you died for, in the end we all end up in the same place(2). No matter what ideals you had in life, or what ideals you died for, in death it doesn't matter. The speaker also doesn't seem to be concerned by her own death, she speaks straighforwardly and even bluntly; giving the effect that is somewhat indifferent or even gloomy. This poem makes an interesting statement about death, even a grim one, because it speaks to a persons fear that no matter what you died for we all end up in the same place. We all want to believe that if we die for something just we will go to a good place and the less worthy to a less worthy place. But Emily Dickenson refutes that, but it isn't a totally dire outlook. Although we all go to the same place, the two in the tomb find comfort and kinship in eachother. That is what initally attracted me to this poem.